Introduction
It is the responsibility of governmental institutions, particularly, police departments to maintain order. It is expected that they do everything in their power to curb and prevent the occurrence of crimes. However, at times, the situation can get out of the control of police forces, and some changes of strategies employed need to be introduced.
Main body
Recently, our department faced problems connected to the rise of the incidence of crimes involving young people. These crimes vary from graffiti and vandalism to simple assaults and minor larcenies. Several cases of street-level narcotics transactions have also been detected. While minor offenses do not attract as much public attention and are relatively less threatening, they still have destabilizing effects on our society and contribute to a long-term increase in criminal activity. Younger people involved in narcotics transactions and consumption jeopardize the well-being and development of our community, and simple assaults can quickly evolve into more serious violent crimes. There have also been many public complaints regarding not being able to feel safe on the streets anymore; therefore, this situation calls for action.
It is important to conduct several arrests to show that police forces do not underestimate the importance of the situation and take action. It will calm the public and may make young people more cautious while deciding whether to commit a crime or not. To achieve this goal, we should start by determining the areas where the majority of crimes occur so that large numbers of officers can be concentrated there. While it is vital that the polices vehicles are constantly on the streets and ready for urgent calls, significant numbers of police officers should also be patrolling the streets on foot. This is expected to improve the situation, particularly in the areas known to be problematic. It will allow officers to respond more rapidly and will contribute to higher numbers of arrests. Regarding the public, it is also crucial to conduct a campaign reminding local people that they should immediately call the police if they see a crime occurring.
While it is our immediate goal to curb the current spike in criminal activity among young people, we should also employ strategic approaches to preventing the future incidence of crimes. Therefore, much awareness-raising work among younger people on the streets is demanded. It is a well-known fact that many interactions between police officers and younger people remain undocumented and do not proceed to legal action (Myers). Hence, the work which police officers conduct on the streets is important for the prevention of juvenile crimes.
The officers interacting with young people must follow the established procedures. The one which is recommended involves several significant evaluations: assessing the safety of the area, the medical, and the mental health condition of a person (Cox et al, p. 216). If the youngster appears to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, they can be taken into protective custody (Cox et al, p. 216). The person can also be sent to a facility that specializes in helping people to overcome the particular crisis they seem to be dealing with, be it drug abuse or anger issues (Cox et al, p. 216). The police forces should work in conjunction with different facilities that aim to assist young people experiencing problems connected to mental health issues, alcohol and drug abuse, domestic violence, poverty, or unemployment. Therefore, patrol officers should be aware of these institutions in the area and of the services they can provide. However, in many cases, forced transitions of youngsters to such facilities should be avoided.
For underage individuals, it might be important to contact those who are responsible for the – parents or other family members, schools, or orphanages. However, in some cases, if the situation does not demand an arrest, protective custody, or immediate contact with a young persons caretaker, police officers can just warn young people about the consequences of juvenile delinquency – it is important not to disregard the benefits which can be derived from preventive discussions. On the other hand, police officers should be careful to avoid emotional pressure which will only discourage youngsters from further communicating with the police or other governmental institutions. This can disrupt the relationship between law enforcement officers and youth and only exacerbate the situation. It is crucial that the officers can distinguish between the situations which demand immediate taking into custody, which should entail contacting a youngsters guardian, and in which it is enough to make a caution.
Conclusion
The objective of the polices strategy of preventing juvenile delinquency should be that no crime, however insignificant, remains undetected and no problematic young person overlooked. Since right now we are facing a spike in criminal activity among young people in our area, taking strict measures, including more officers patrolling the streets and conducting more arrests, is highly recommended to curb the crisis. However, our strategy should not be confined to such measures – preventive discussions are also highly important. Patrol officers should understand their role in making the community a safer place both for the general public and for the young people themselves.
Works Cited
Cox, Stephen M., et al. Juvenile Justice: A Guide to Theory, Policy, and Practice. 9th ed., SAGE Publications, 2017.
Myers, Stephanie M. “Police: Handling of Juveniles.” Ecyclopedia.com.